You Can't Save the World On Your Own
by RoseEverett
Summary: You are an adventurer-in-the-making who's been fortunate enough to be taken under the wing of the legendary warrior Link who served under Princess Zelda over one hundred years ago. You two embark on numerous adventures in your quest to destroy Ganon and rid the land of his presence. Cover is by bucketofchum on tumblr, posted with permission.
1. Chapter 1

**NOTES:** Hey everybody! Thanks to a very positive response, I've decided to expand on the one-off that I made a while back. This first chapter, and several more in the future, will take place before the events of More Than Partners, while later chapters will take place in the future. I'll be sure to leave notes in the chapters right before, and right after the events of the one-off so you won't have to struggle to figure out when the timeline shifts. I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it.

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"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh, I'm so tired. Can we pleeeeeeeease stop already? Like, I don't mean to complain, but we've been marching for at LEAST six hours now," you groaned as you pulled yourself up onto the top of a tall rock and lay down on the large, flat surface. After bathing in the sunlight for a moment, you sit up and take a long drink from your Bokoblin waterskin. Wiping the dripping sweat from your brow, you appreciate the small break in your long journey as you watch your partner survey the lands from the edge of the platform.

"Link, you're a great guy, and I love adventuring with you, but your stamina is crazy! We've been making our way through the forest all day and you barely look tired. How do you do it, man?"

Link raised his hand to his forehead to block the sunlight hitting his eyes as he scanned the valley in front of him. He stood proudly with a strong, wide stance that kept him firmly rooted to the ground. His presence resembled that of an Oak: tall, powerful, and ready to handle anything thrown its way.

You gazed at him with an annoyed look as he remained silent.

"Hey, jackass, I'm talking to you," you said as you chucked a pebble at him.

The small rock, however, did not faze the determined adventurer. It simply slammed into his tunic with a soft 'thud' and skittered its way across the ground before coming to a stop. The wind howled quietly as you watched the rock come to a halt.

You decided to stand up and join him to see what he was so focused on. As you walked up beside him, you took a good long look into the valley below.

About one hundred meters out, there was a sharp drop off from the dense forest the two of you had been exploring for most of the day that led to a large, grassy field. The long blades gently waved as the setting sun painted them yellow. A small lake stirred softly as ducks and fish swam through its cool waters.

Unsure of what to focus on, you looked to Link to try and see exactly what area of the large field he was scouting, but after checking multiple times, you could see nothing of real interest.

"Um, what exactly are we looking for here? Is it the ducks," you asked, staring forward. "I think it's the ducks," you said softly after a few moments of silence pass.

Suddenly and without breaking his gaze, Link's hand shot up and signed for you to look where he was pointing.

You looked as intently as you possibly could, doing your best to line your sight up with his finger.

"I um, I see a stick? Standing up in the field," you said, with very little confidence.

"Good," Link signed. "And what do you think it means?"

"Well, it probably didn't end up like that on its own, so I guess someone's been there before?"

"Excellent. Can you tell me who exactly went through there, though?"

"Not a chance. A lot of people carry sticks around when they're walking. Especially if they're going for long hikes, but I don't know why they would just leave it sticking out there in the middle of a field."

Link smiled and pulled you next to him. "Look closer, do you see that ribbon hanging off the end of that stick," he signed. "It's blue with a white stripe down the middle. That's a pattern used by traders up to the north. And the direction the stick is leaning shows which direction they're headed. As you can see, this trader was headed to the northwest."

"Oh, wow. So what does that mean for us?"

"Well, the man we're looking for, Pikle, was sent out to pick up some furs that traders from the north usually carry. It's not a perfect lead, but it would make sense to think that he followed this post and is to our northwest somewhere in the mountains."

"Oh, great! So we're getting closer!"

"I hope so. There's a small chance he went out to go hunt for the pelts himself, but from what his family told us, he isn't really much of a fighter."

"Yeah, he looked like a pretty scrawny guy in the picture they showed us."

Link let out a small chuckle and signed, "Hey, don't underestimate someone based on how big they are. I've faced plenty of tough enemies who were a fraction of my size."

"That's cause you're a dork who can't fight off a few ChuChus without slipping and busting your ass."

"That was ONE TIME," Link signed very intensely as his cheeks turned a light shade of red.

You let out a small giggle. "I'll never let you live it down, though. What's our next move, by the way? I hope it's taking a rest because GOD I'm exhausted."

Link looked to the sky and noticed it turning a mix of red, purple, and blue. "We should probably wait here until early morning," he signed. "A lot of creatures like to come out during the night, which normally isn't too bad, but if we try and cross that field, we'll be completely open on all sides. We'll also be more susceptible to arrow attacks. We'll leave at daybreak, and by the time we make it to the mountains, we should be in the shadows, so the heat won't be a problem while we climb."

"Amazing. Exactly what I like to hear, or see, I guess," you say excitedly as you begin unloading your backpack and setting up a tent for the two of you.

Link walks over and pats your back before beginning to help you get your camp site ready.

"So how long did it take you to get so good at adventuring? I mean, you're a legendary hero and all. You don't really earn that kind of reputation overnight," you asked Link as you sat on the floor, facing him and sipping on a cup of tea.

"I've been training since I was a little kid," Link signed, sitting with his back against one of the tent's support beams. "When I was ten, I could wield a sword, by thirteen I was lugging around a shield, and by sixteen I was scaling the sides of mountains."

"Holy shit. That sounds pretty rough."

"I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. It was tough, but the things I've seen and the things I've done really make up for it. It's been a truly unique experience. For as long as I can remember, my parents told me that the spirit of a brave warrior lingered inside of me, and I know now what they meant. I don't know if I'll really be as amazing as they said I would, but I can sure as hell try."

"Well, I mean, you were personally tasked with guarding princess Zelda back in the day. I feel like that's pretty amazing."

Link laughed awkwardly as he rubbed his temples. "Yes," he signed, "I was. But I also failed. I wouldn't really call that amazing. Anybody can fail; a truly amazing warrior would have kept her safe."

"Give yourself some credit man. At least you lost to like, the ultimate evil in the entire universe. I mean, do you really think anyone could have beat him by themselves?"

"I don't know, honestly. I feel like if I had just... been a little better, I could have beaten him."

The two of you looked off to the side as the chirping of crickets filled the air.

"What was it like one hundred years ago? Like, what was life like before Ganon," you asked.

"Things were, different," Link signed slowly. "It was peaceful. You didn't have to leave the house with a weapon on your back, and children would play in the forests without any care. I wasn't very old before his presence started changing the world, but I do remember, very clearly, a general sense of harmony in the world. People's problems were minor, and guards weren't posted at every street corner like they were near the end. I remember there was this one guard, Talia, who I'd talk to every day before running off into the forest to explore. She would sneak me some food from the mess hall so I'd have a snack while I was out. I loved talking to her. I feel like she would have been a great mother because she really loved kids. I wonder why she joined the guard in the first place. The rigid and tough lifestyle didn't really fit her personality well, but I never asked. You don't really think about that kind of stuff when you're a kid, you know? I remember one day on my way out, she stopped me and said I wasn't able to go exploring. She wouldn't tell me why, just that she wasn't supposed to let anyone through and that I should go home and play instead. Kept telling me that maybe tomorrow would be different. We continued that routine for a few weeks until one day she told me she was going to have to go away for a bit on a 'really important mission'. She gave me a tight hug and said she'd see me again in about a week and that she'd make sure to bring a nice snack for me to munch on. I eagerly awaited her return, but I never saw her again after that. Some mean guy with a beard took her spot, and he wasn't too happy about dealing with some young punk every day, so I stopped trying to go out. A few days later, my uncle was teaching me how to swing a sword and well, you know the rest. It's funny how quickly life changes when evil starts to infect the world. It's subtle at first; you barely even notice anything is different. The new policies put in place by the military are more inconvenienced than anything and you jokingly complain to your friend about how long it took you to get there with all the new checkpoints throughout town, and that the government must not have anything better to do than make you late for your appointments. But then, things become more serious. People look worried all the time; the military is omnipresent, and people stop leaving their houses unless they have to. Marketplaces are almost deserted as people quickly make their purchases and run back home. Kids aren't playing and laughing, streets are empty, and the city is silent. The sense of dread is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Everybody is always so tense. Personally, I prefer how things are now as opposed to right before the attack. Now, society has had time to get used to the way things are. Yeah, we're still constantly on edge, but we've learned how to live with it, and we've began doing the things that disappear with war again. People are laughing, they're exploring, they've found some joy in life. It gives me hope that maybe Ganon can still be defeated, and maybe things can go back to the way they were, but I don't know."

After a brief pause, Link turned and noticed you staring at him with a very sober expression.

"Sorry to bring the mood down, I guess I got a little deep there, huh," he signed.

"No, it's fine. I'm… it's interesting hearing about how you feel and think, especially about all this. If anyone, it's really affected your life the most. I'm really sorry to hear about your friends and, well, everyone, I suppose."

"It's fine. There's nothing that's going to change how things turned out. What's important is what's happening now, and how we can make a better future.

"I guess so…"

Link slightly opened the slit in the front of the tent to take a peek at the dark night sky.

"It's getting late, we should get some rest. You know I'm gonna kick your ass out of bed early tomorrow, right?"

"I'm looking forward to it," you replied with the most sarcastic tone you could muster.

Link opened the door to the small oil lantern that had been illuminating the tent and blew it out.

"Good night," you said, slipping into your bedroll.

You lay there for a few moments thinking about Link and how dramatically his life must have changed from that one-hundred-year rest. An entirely new civilization was formed while he was gone. Everything he used to know about the world around him had changed, and you could tell it changed him too. He seemed much wiser and more mature than most people his age, but you didn't really know whether it was a good thing or not. You felt like his entire childhood was robbed form him, and although he says he doesn't mind it, you couldn't help but think he's got some hard feelings about it that he just doesn't want to share.

Your last thoughts before you drifted to sleep were that of a world you never knew: a world without Ganon.


	2. An Eventful Breakfast

As the soft orange glow of the rising sun crept its way inside your tent, across the floor, and onto your face, birds began calling in the distance. Faintly, the sounds of scurrying rabbits and groups of slowly walking deer moving towards the fields to graze provided a small chorus to the beginning of the symphony that was the sunrise. It was truly a beautiful time: brisk and quiet. The whole world seemed to start all at once as all living creatures softly woke to a new day. For a moment, the world seemed peaceful. You felt a hand gently touch your shoulder and shake you ever so slightly and then move away. You opened your eyes and realized it was Link who woke you, telling you to get ready for the long day ahead. You moved your blanket off from on top of yourself and sat up. Your eyes were droopy and your mind hazy as your body attempted to bring you back to the world of the living after a long night's stay in your dreams. Your eyes were foggy, and you rubbed them gently while letting out a yawn. It wasn't the first time you'd waken up at daybreak, but you still weren't very accustomed to it. As you sat silently, giving yourself a few moments to feel awake, you glanced over at your partner who was already fully clothed, packed, and getting supplies together to make a morning meal. A small smile occupied his face as he dug through his sac, grabbing firewood, flint, a bowl, and his bow.

"Someone got an early start," you said sleepily as you began rolling up your bedroll.

"Someone got a late start, actually," Link signed. "I was going to wake you up earlier, but I thought I'd give you a few more minutes. After all, we did do a lot yesterday. And I know how Sleeping Beauty loves her rest."

"Fuck you, man. We aren't all conditioned to not need any fucking sleep. What's the bow for, by the way? You gonna hunt us some grub?"

"Yes. I saw some nice fox running around outside and I decided it was a good plan for breakfast."

"How lucky am I to be traveling with such a big, strong man who can hunt and provide food for little old me," you said sarcastically.

"Do you want breakfast or not?"

"Yes, please. I'm starving."

"Good!" Link tossed you some flint and steel. "You start the fire while I'm gone, alright? We're a little behind right now so try and have things ready to go before I get back."

"Alright, alright. I got it. I'll start the fire after I sleep juuuuuuuuust a little longer…"

Link turned around and gave you a playful look.

"Just kidding, jackass," you responded, giving his shoulder a small shove as you walked outside the tent.

After you set the wood in place and set the bowl to rest over it, Link emerged from the tent, bow in hand. He waved goodbye before trotting off into the forest to find some food. You waved back and then returned to the task at hand.

Starting fires was one of the few adventuring skills Link didn't have to teach you once you two started working together. You may have only been a novice explorer, but you could make one tasty fire. Personally, you considered it more of an art as opposed to a skill. The way you lined up the dry grass under the wood was truly a talent you were born with. And the way you aligned the chopped wood so that it would evenly heat your bowl, making all your food uniformly cooked? Truly a gift from the Gods. When you finished your beautiful arrangement of flammable materials, you struck the flint across the chunk of steel Link had given you a few times until the sparks they produced caused the grass to quickly combust. As you carefully shielded the small flame from the winds, the wood surrounding it slowly blackened, and eventually caught fire itself. You stood up triumphantly and gave a nice, hardy head nod in the direction of the fire to show your approval.

You decided to take a seat, since it didn't seem like Link was going to be coming back too soon, and began staring deeply into the flames, losing yourself in thought. The adventure you two were on was quite daunting for you. Sure, you had done work more dangerous than this in the past, but none of those missions involved the safety of someone else. You and Link were responsible for safely getting another human being out of a potentially deadly situation, and the weight of the reality that you could be responsible for someone's death took a real toll on you. Link had assured you several times that things would be fine, but you still couldn't help but feel nervous. Link was an extraordinary and incredibly capable warrior, but you were scared that you'd hinder him somehow and get someone else killed.

You held your head in your hands as you tried to think of something a little less depressing. You began to think about Link. Not about his skills or talents, but just… him. You'd never really met someone quite as… charming, as he is. He had a spirit that seemed almost unbreakable, and a determination unlike any other. He was skilled at his craft, but not arrogant or cocky, and he was always happy to teach you, even when it was something you'd asked for help with a hundred times before. He'd just give you a little smile and a nudge on the arm before taking you through things, step by step, until he thought you had it. And whenever you'd fail and fall flat on your ass, he'd make sure you were okay before telling you what a dork you were. He was such a playful guy: Always making jokes and calling you names, but also being sure you knew he didn't mean it. You never took any offense to anything he said, but he was still always so considerate. Something about him was just so… alluring to you, but you couldn't quite put your finger on it. He was just a swell guy, and you guess you enjoyed being around him because he never made you feel bad or stupid for not knowing or not being able to do something. He was just so, nice, and caring, and… cute? Was cute the right word? You thought that maybe cute was a bit of an odd word considering the dynamic between you two, so you just decided to say that Link was a pretty rad dude instead.

You sat there, thinking about Link for a while until you heard snapping very close to your ear. You jumped up and grabbed the closest weapon you could find. As you took a battle stance and tried to assess the situation, you noticed that you had grabbed the metal spoon you use to stir soups, rather than an actual tool for defense. Luckily for you, the snapping was coming from none other than Link, who had apparently been back for a while. He had come back with a medium sized fox and had already begun draining and skinning the animal while you were thinking.

Link put his hands up in the air to signal surrender. "Woah there, tiger. No need to threaten my life," he signed while trying to keep a straight face.

You stood up straight and regained your composure. You then chucked the spoon towards Link, who caught it out of the air with ease.

"Damn it. I can't even be mad at you for catching that cause it was really cool looking," you said.

Link spun the spoon around in his fingers a few times before placing it gently onto the ground.

"Sorry for scaring you. I thought you'd noticed me come back," he signed.

"How long have you been back?"

"For about ten minutes. Long enough for you ignoring me to start hurting my feelings." Link traced his finger down his face to represent a tear before chuckling to himself.

"Yeah, sorry little guy, but I've finally had enough of those hands of yours waving all over the place."

The two of you laughed and began talking some more. You helped Link finish prepping the fox and you guys spent some time exchanging thoughts about today's plan of action. While you talked, the food finished cooking and you divvied up the meal between the two of you. The meat was superb, as usual. Link always managed to pick the tastiest animal out of a herd. It was like some kind of a sixth sense. Of course, that was only half the reason your meals were always so delicious.

You had spent years perfecting a perfect mix of spices and flavorings for every kind of meat you could think of. Cooking wasn't really something you were dedicated to, you just hated terrible tasting food. You wouldn't say the place where you grew up was known for its food, and you hated it. Your interest in creating perfect spice combinations was really born out of spite, but you still took pride in what you'd made.

"How's it taste, dillweed," you asked Link between bites.

Link, who was probably the only person who loved food more than you, didn't even look away from his plate as he gave you a thumbs up, indicating his satisfaction.

You chuckled and blushed a little. Link always made a big deal about how much he enjoyed eating your cooking. You thought he was probably just being polite because, honestly, there isn't much that boy wouldn't eat, but you still felt a little warm inside whenever he paid you a compliment.

Link quickly finished his meal and licked his fingers clean.

"Wow, you really weren't kidding. You must really like my food," you said, slightly shocked by the rate at which Link had devoured his food.

"Of course," Link signed. "I really do mean it when I say your food is amazing. It's some of the best I've ever tasted, honestly."

Now you were really blushing. You could see that Link was sincere from the look on his face as he eagerly signed his praise.

"Oh, sorry. Was that too much," Link asked. "I didn't mean to embarrass you or anything I just. It's REALLY good. Like I'm honestly surprised that you never became an actual chef or something."

Flustered, you punched Link's arm. "Stop it! Gah, you're embarrassing me, asshole. Just say you like the food and shut up."

Link looked at you and chuckled, a small amount of blood flushing his cheeks. "Sorry for liking your food so much Ms. Easily Flustered. I just want you to know how much I enjoy having you around and that I think you've got some really nice talents."

"Oh my god, you're making things worse," you told him as you threw your hood over your head and began packing up your things. You tried to hide the fact that your cheeks were burning as bright as the fire you had just used to make breakfast. After a few moments had passed and you had calmed down, you turned back towards Link.

"Thank you, I really appreciate it," you said in the most earnest of tones.

"No problem, dude," Link responded with a smile.

You walked over to Link and gave him a little hug. "Thanks for being so kind, dork."

Link was a little surprised by your actions, but after a second, he wrapped his arms around you too.

After a moment had passed, you pulled away. "Alright, come on, nerd. We've got some mountains to climb."


	3. Heating Up

You wiped the sweat from your brow as the cool of the early morning began fading away. You and Link had managed to make your way to the mountainous crevasse which served as a gateway to the mountain range you two would most likely have to travel through. Tall, tan walls surrounded you as the ground slowly transitioned from tall grass to loose dirt. You could see layers inside of the rockface from where different layers of stone had formed over the years only to be consumed by another layer in the coming years. Luckily, the sun wasn't over you, so you could adventure in the shadows for now, but you could tell that once it was overhead, the heat would be blistering.

"It's warming up a little bit," you mentioned to Link as he led the way through the rocky path.

"Yeah," he signed back. "I hope you brought something that can breathe, because it's not going to get any colder once we start climbing."

"Uh, I'll figure something out," you said, remembering that you forgot to pack clothes for the occasion. You were currently wearing a pair of thick trousers, boots, a sleeveless shirt, and a thick tunic on top. Normally you would wear some armor underneath your clothes as well, but you decided to leave them off today so they wouldn't hinder your climbing abilities.

"By the way, do you have a good pair of gloves," Link asked.

"I don't, actually."

Link took his bag off his back and began searching through it while still walking. After a few moments of searching, he tossed a pair of gloves over his back towards you. You catch them and examine them.

The gloves are a dark brown. They have signs of wear, but they still seem to be in excellent condition. The palms are thick and seem to have been designed in such a way so that the wearer would have an easier time getting traction on objects that may normally be too difficult to grab onto. On the back of the gloves, padding was covered by hard metal plates that rested over the knuckles.

"What are these?"

"Climbing gloves," Link responds. "One of my favorite pairs, so don't lose em." Link turns towards you and gives you a wink.

You blush. "I know these are gloves, jerk. I meant the plates on the back."

"Oh, those. Yeah those are in case we get into a fight and you need to throw a good punch or two. Keeps you from breaking your knuckles, and it makes your hits have a much bigger impact. They've definitely saved my ass once or twice in the past. Cause like, sometimes a Moblin just sneaks up on you and you don't have time to pick something up, or you're fighting off Keese while you're getting dressed." Link turned to look at you. "That's super not cool, by the way. Keese are rude as hell. Everybody knows you don't attack someone while they're trying to get their pants on. It's just plain disrespectful."

Link's joke made you chuckle as you started to slide the gloves onto your hands. "Alright, thanks for the TMI there, oh great adventurer."

"Nobody said every part of adventuring was luxurious. Or fully clothed."

You shake your head and smile as you tighten the straps around your wrists. The gloves make you feel powerful, honestly. Almost like you could take on the world with just your fists. You close your hands tight a few times to get a feel for the gloves and throw a few punches into the air.

"You okay back there, fight night," Link asks you.

"Hell yeah I am! These things feel incredible, man. Thanks for lending them to me."

"Don't mention it. I just want you to be safe, you know? I know climbing isn't really your thing, so I wanna help you be ready. I don't think we'll have to do anything too bad since, assuming we were right to think our target was captured by Bokoblins, they don't reside too high up in the mountains. But I do think scaling a mountain face could definitely give us the advantage in a fight via a sneak attack. Do you think you'd be ready to do some easy climbing? I'll do my best to pick a route that doesn't have a hang this time. I know those ones are tough."

"Well you sure make them look easy. You're like a god damn monkey the way you scale those things. Hell, I'm sure you could climb a straight, horizontal rock if you really wanted to."

Link smiled. "I uh, actually have, before," he signed awkwardly.

"Oh my god. Do you just have drills in your fingertips? Like, do you just drill into the cliff and that's why your grip is so good?"

"No, but I do have years of training and practice."

"You should have lied and said yes, man. Would have been a lot cooler."

"Okay, you got me. I had drills surgically implanted in my fingertips when I was younger to give me incredible rock-climbing abilities."

"I fucking knew it," you whispered to yourself, quietly.

After several hours of walking and some slight climbing, you could feel the heat starting to take a toll on your body. You removed your sleeveless shirt from under your tunic, soaked it in water, and wrapped it around your head to try and cool yourself off. You also decided to roll the legs of your pants above your knees to let yourself breathe a bit. It wasn't the most fashion-forward outfit, but it definitely beat heat stroke, so you decided to roll with it. The gloves Link had given you were working wonders, allowing you to climb with almost half the effort it usually took. Link was right when he said climbing wasn't your forte, so these gloves were an absolute godsend. Not only did they keep you from falling on your ass during a climb, but you thought they made you look pretty rad.

Eventually, the two of you stumbled upon an abandoned backpack and what looked like torn pieces of clothing scattered on the floor. By now, the height of the walls around you had significantly decreased, only going about eight feet off the ground. On top of the walls were several large rocks lining the perimeter. There was also a difficult slope in front of you, covered in loose rocks and dirt. You looked up and noticed some claw marks on the walls as well.

"Okay, tell me what happened," Link turned around and asked you, stopping in the middle of the scene.

"Hm, well," you responded, walking towards the backpack and picking it up. "The bag is pretty empty, and it doesn't look like it was ripped open, so I assume it was meant to be like that. There's plenty of food and water, and only one bedroll, so I'd assume this is a traveler who needed plenty of space to carry things, and who was traveling alone. I assume it was our guy, since he would need room to bring back supplies from his journey. It would explain all the empty space as well as the single bedroll."

"Okay. What else?"

You turned your head towards the large rocks overlooking your position. "Well, it's very difficult to see past those rocks up there, and the path in front of us isn't hard to navigate, but it would take more time to get through than your average road due to all the loose rocks and such. I believe the Bokoblins may have taken advantage of this fact and set up an ambush by waiting above and jumping down to surround Pikle. Since the road ahead is tough to get through, his escape would have been very difficult, making him much easier to capture and allowing the Bokoblins to remain more dense, since they'd have less ground to cover to prevent escape."

"Good, good. I was thinking the same exact thing." Link came over and gave you a quick pat on the shoulder to say 'congratulations'. "I'm going to guess they went to our East. There're more people towards the West, and Bokoblins aren't ones who enjoy the company of others. They're not the toughest bunch of baddies, and they know it, so they tend to single people out and then take them far away from others to avoid being overpowered."

You shuddered at the thought. "I'd hate to be captured by those guys and hauled off somewhere all alone like that. Sounds like a nightmare."

"Yeah it's usually not a very good time for whoever got captured. But lucky for us, Bokoblins act slowly. So we should still have time to find our man before anything happens to him."

You salvaged the contents from Pikle's bag: some water, spare flint, and a family photo were the only things worth taking. All of the food inside was starting to go rotten, so you decided it was best to just leave it. You took a look at the photo and saw the man who you were told is Pikle, his wife, and two girls in their teens. The four were posing in front of their house, smiling and holding a large pumpkin. You assumed it must have been one of the larger ones they had grown that year for them to take a picture with it.

"I'm sure he'd be happy getting this back when we find him," you said, showing the photo to Link before stashing it in your bag.

Link nodded and the two of you began your journey to the East.

"Finally," you said quietly to yourself as you poked your head out behind a large rock overlooking a Bokoblin campsite.

The camp housed about twenty Bokoblins. In the middle of the camp was a large bonfire that seemed to have taken days to construct as it stood over ten feet tall. The monsters were gathered around the fire, jumping back and forth eagerly. Near them was their reason for celebration: Pikle was tied to a post, doing his best to try and squirm free of his bindings, but with no chance of escaping in sight. He had some cuts and bruises, but the short, slender, brown-haired man seemed to be in good shape overall.

"That's definitely him," you said, referencing the picture you had found in his bag. "He looks alright. Scared, but alright. Do you think we can take all these guys?"

"If we're smart about it, it should be a piece of cake," Link signed.

"Do you have a plan?"

"Yes. Do you see that cliff there in the back," Link asked as he pointed to a sheer drop towards the edge of the camp. "If we climb up from there and take out a few of their guards, then hide behind those nearby rocks and use our arrows, we should be able to take out enough by surprise to be able to brute force the rest of them."

"Sounds good to me," you said, standing up and getting ready to start walking.

Link grabbed your arm. "Wait. It's getting late. The sun is going to set soon. We'll have a higher chance of success if we wait for it to set and go in under the cover of darkness."

You crouched back down. "Alright. Whatever you say, boss."

The two of you fell back to a hidden position about thirty feet from the camp site and waited patiently for night to come.

"God, it's still hot as shit up here," you complained.

"It gets pretty bad, I'll admit," Link replied. "Those clothes aren't helping you out much, though. Why don't you change into something cooler? That tunic isn't really made for this kind of weather."

"I uh, didn't bring anything different…" you responded, embarrassed.

"No problem, man." Link searched through his bag once again and tossed a thin, black shirt at you. "You can borrow that for the time being."

"Alright. Now all I need are some pants and I'll have successfully stolen an entire outfit from you."

Link chuckled. "That shirt is a loaner. I need it back. You can keep the gloves, though."

"Awe, but aren't these like, your favorites or something?"

"Yeah but, you know. You really like them, and they help you out a lot, so you should keep them. I have another pair for myself, so don't worry."

"Well, thank you. I really appreciate it," you said, shyly.

After a moment of silence, Link asked, "So are you gonna change, or?"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

Your cheeks turned a little red. "I'm um. I'm not wearing anything under this shirt toady."

Link's cheeks flared up as you told him this. "Oh, um well. I'll look away. Just you know, tell me when you're done, okay?" After signing to you, Link turned himself around, staring at the rocks in front of him and rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

Embarrassed, you slowly began taking off your tunic, watching Link to see if was going to try and take a peek. After a few seconds, you felt confident he wouldn't look, and began removing your clothes more quickly. You threw your tunic to the floor and picked up the new shirt you had borrowed. Your chest was bare since you decided not to wear any kind of wrapping over them today. Usually, you bind your breasts so your armor will fit better and so they don't get in the way during combat, but you didn't expect to get into a scuffle today, so you decided to skip it and give your chest a day to relax.

As you straightened the shirt and pulled it down past your stomach, you cleared your throat and told Link that you're finished.

"I'm done," you said, still a little flustered.

"You sure," Link signed while still facing away from you.

"Yes."

Link nodded and looked back at you before turning his body back around.

"Sorry about that," he signed, embarrassed. "I should have given that to you earlier when you could have had a little more privacy."

"You're fine. Thank you, though," you respond, doing your best to help Link feel less awkward. "Not like you're ever going to see these titties anyways," you joked, trying to make light of the situation.

Link almost fell backward, he was so caught off guard by your comment. He tried to sign, but kept messing up his hand gestures as his face turned a deep red.

You did your best to hold back your laughter as you watched Link try and form a coherent sentence. You thought it was hilarious just how flustered he was, but you also kind of felt nice inside. You took his embarrassment as a compliment: he was so taken aback by the thought of seeing you shirtless that he couldn't even function correctly. Chances are he was most likely just embarrassed because he didn't want to seem like some kind of a pervert, but it was a nice thought nonetheless.

After a few minutes, Link regained his composure and the two of you prepared to ambush your enemies as the moon took over the sky. Tonight, you were going to save Pikle.


	4. Fight Night

As night began taking over the sky, you and Link set out on your mission. Sneaking carefully, the two of you made your way down and away from your temporary headquarters to begin climbing your way towards the Bokoblin camp. It was a long climb that was out of your way, but it would let you and Link quietly climb the side of a cliff until it wrapped around to the campsite. Then you could make your way upwards to strike. Link gave you a pat on the back, reassuring you of his faith in your abilities, then jumped up onto the cliffside that began forming a few hundred feet from your goal. You took a deep breath and shook your limbs out in an effort to calm yourself. As a wave of confidence washed through your body, you tightened the wrist straps on your climbing gloves and hopped up onto the rockface.

Instantly, you could feel your muscles starting to strain. The slope of the cliffside was a little outward, making it much harder for you to keep your grip, but you grit your teeth and carried on.

After about ten minutes of shuffling from foothold to foothold, you noticed Link waving to you. He had found a ledge on the wall that was large enough for the two of you to stand on and was awaiting your arrival. You slowly made your way down and dropped to your feet.

Wiping the sweat from your face, you looked at Link and said, "I didn't fall, but I am tired as hell."

"Well," Link signed, "Not falling is a great first step so nice work."

"So how much farther from the camp are we," you asked between long, deep breaths.

"Just below it, actually. I scoped this place out earlier and found this incredibly convenient ledge for us to take a breather on, so I thought it would help us out. It's really the only reason I considered this approach. I wouldn't want you to be exhausted from climbing and then immediately have to start fighting."

"How kind," you responded sarcastically. "You knew I was too much of a lazy fuck to be able to make the whole trip at once, huh?"

"I didn't say that. It's what I meant, but I didn't say it," Link signed, chuckling.

"Oh, shut up, dick," you said, mounting yourself back onto the wall. "We ready or not?"

Link gestured "after you" before joining you on your climb.

When you reached the top, the two of you peaked your heads over the side just enough to get a look at the campsite in front of you. Not much had changed since the last time you saw it, except it seemed that some of the Bokoblins had fallen asleep after the partying from earlier. A pair of them were loitering near the side of the cliff.

Signaling for you to get ready, Link whistled and the two of you dropped back behind the rockface.

The two Bokoblins turned towards the sound of Link's whistle and began carefully making their way over. Link looked at you and signed to follow his move.

Nodding, you readied yourself for some action.

Link knocked on the rock you two were hanging from, causing the two monsters to lean down and glance over the edge. As they did, Link pulled himself up, grabbed one Bokoblin by the necklace, and pulled him over the edge, letting him sail into the pit below.

You quickly copied Link's actions with the remaining foe and watched as his body bounced off of the rocks below.

The two of you pulled yourselves onto solid ground and took position behind two separate rocks about ten feet away from one another.

The rock was just big enough to cover you while crouching, and was situated just outside the camp, giving you and Link a good tactical position.

"Tower," Link signed to you before taking his bow off of his back.

You pulled your brown and yellow wooden bow around your arm and over your head, looking around for the guard tower Link was referencing. As you grabbed an arrow from its quiver and readied it, you spotted it sitting on the other side of the camp. A Bokoblin bowman was standing on top, dutifully keeping watch of the surrounding area. A couple others were on lookout at the bottom, as well as another patrolling near the entrance.

Link signaled for you to take out the archer as well as the Bokoblin on patrol, stating that he'd fire on your mark.

You nodded in response and pulled back on your bowstring.

Quickly, you peaked from your location, took aim, and loosed your arrow, hitting the watchman square in the forehead.

As he stumbled backwards and fell from the top of the tower, Link quickly let loose two arrows in rapid succession, each of which found their mark in the chests of the remaining two Bokoblins on watch.

Link's archery skills were unmatched, and yours hardly compared to his. This was evident as you struggled to ready your second arrow in the small window of time you had to do so.

As you finally got your arrow to rest on your bow, you readied for your second shot as the Bokoblin pacing near the entrance turned around and spotted the mess you two had made. As he reached for his side to grab his signal horn, your arrow zipped into his side, causing him to let out a loud wail, but not killing him.

"Fuck," you said quietly to yourself as you nervously tried to grab a third arrow.

The monster dropped his horn and fell to his knees as he tried hastily to recover it, but another arrow quickly found itself lodged in his skull. This one had come from Link's bow, and although it had hit its target quickly, it wasn't quick enough for you two to avoid being discovered. As the remaining Bokoblins began sniffing around, desperately searching for their unseen foes, Link pulled an item the size of a softball from his rucksack. He took a peak over his rock, signed for you to take cover, and tossed it over into the bonfire at the center of the camp.

As you pulled your head between your knees and covered your ears, a large boom rang out from the other side of the rock. Like had thrown a black powder bomb into the camp's fire, causing a massive explosion to erupt and kill several Bokoblins while injuring and disorienting most of the others. The sound of the boom left your ears ringing and your hearing limited for a moment.

With your cover fully blown, you and Link took advantage of the confusion and hopped out of your hiding places. You drew your sword and approached a Bokoblin who was stumbling around trying to regain his bearings after the explosion dazed him. You sliced his leg, causing him to drop to the ground, and brought your sword down onto his head, splitting it almost in half. You braced yourself with your foot against the fiend's back and pushed hard to dislodge your weapon. Once it was freed, you turned around to see that you were being challenged by a fully-armored Bokoblin with a shield and a short sword. He didn't seem very content with letting you take out some of the easier targets like you planned, and he began charging you.

As the Bokoblin ran in your direction, you held your sword vertically in front of you and braced yourself. As he closed in to your location, you stepped out of the way and swept your leg out in front of him. With a mighty crash, your foe tumbled to the ground. You quickly stood over the beast and attempted to thrust your sword through the gaps in his metal armor. Unfortunately, he was quicker, turning himself around and placing his shield in front of your strike. You thrust your sword hard, and it became trapped in your enemy's wooden shield. As you attempted to regain possession of your blade, the beast kicked your leg and brought you to the floor with him. As you hit the dirt, the Bokoblin got up and tried to shake your sword out of his shield. After a few unsuccessful attempts, the creature simply unstrapped the shield from his arm and tossed it to the side. He made his way over and raised his bat for an attack. You deftly retrieved the hatchet you keep strapped to your thigh and tossed dirt into your opponent's eyes. You stood up and took advantage of your enemy's blindness by taking a swing at his head. Unfortunately, his arm was in the way, and your hatchet dug itself into the monster's wrist, nearly severing his hand. You raised your weapon again and took another swing, this time, hitting your mark. You then swung again, and again, and one more time before deciding the creature had had enough and let him slump to the group like a ragdoll.

Looking around, it seemed like the battle was over. Link finished wiping off his sword and then sheathed it.

"All clear," you asked.

"It's all clear over here," Link signed back.

Surveying the area one more time for any signs of life, you saw nothing to worry about. Just scattered bodies: some in pieces, some filled with arrows, and some still burning from the explosion. You finally concluded that you were safe and sheathed your hatchet, retrieved your sword from the monster's wooden shield, and made your way to Link who was getting ready to lower Pikle from his bindings.

As Link held his legs, you began cutting Pikle's restraints with a small knife. Once he was free, you grabbed the top half of his body, and you and Link slowly laid him on the ground. He was filthy and beaten up, unconscious as well, but he didn't seem to be in any immediate medical danger. You and Link constructed a makeshift stretcher out of materials located around the camp to transport your newly acquired friend. As you lifted your newly acquired friend and began making your way to a safer location, you felt a sharp pain coursing through your leg that made it difficult to walk. You did your best to ignore it and tried not to tip over the stretcher.

When you arrived at your previous campsite outside of the Bokoblin's, you two gently lowered Pikle onto the ground and rolled him into a bedroll. The poor man most likely hadn't had a decent rest in over a week, and you hoped that a good night's sleep would let his body heal to a point to where he could at least walk.

After putting Pikle down for a rest, Link began setting up camp for the three of you, and you began work on a fire. As you were carrying some firewood over, your knee buckled, and you fell to the ground.

"You okay," Link signed, looking over his shoulder at you.

"Yeah, yeah. I probably hit my leg or something during the fight. It's no big deal."

"Well, we can take a look once the fire is made, okay? Need to make sure you didn't sprain it or anything."

"It's probably a bruise you worry-wart. Making a big fuss over nothing."

Once things were all set up, you and Link took a seat together. Link scooted close to you and grabbed your leg gently.

"Oh, well that's an issue," Link signed as his face adopted a look of concern.

"What's the verdict, doc?"

Link showed you his hands. They were covered in blood.

"Oh. That's definitely more than a bruise," you said, leaning in for a closer look.

It seemed that sometime during the fight, your leg had been cut, leaving a large gash across your thigh. The blood had begun soaking through your pantleg and was making quite the mess. You must not have noticed your injury due to the adrenaline rush brought on from the fight, but now that things were calmer, you could definitely feel its presence.

"Okay, pull off your pants," Link signed as he reached into his bag for some supplies.

"I'm sorry?"

"I can't treat your wound through your pants, can you please take them off."

"Oh, yeah. Um, sure thing." You loosened your belt and slowly peeled your pants off of your leg. You struggled as the blood around your cut began to dry.

Once your pants were down to your ankles, Link said you were good and began working on patching you up. He opened a bottle of disinfectant and poured it over your leg while wiping the excess blood away with a cloth. You let out a small groan and grabbed Link's shoulder as the disinfectant began working its magic. He gave you a reassuring pat on the side as he proceeded to apply pressure to the wound to halt the bleeding.

"Link?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry I missed back there."

"Don't worry about it. It happens sometimes."

"No but, it was really important. I could have really fucked up the whole mission like that."

"Well, did you fuck up the mission?"

"Kinda…"

"Look, Pikle is fine, I'm still alive, you're still alive. Things could have gone significantly worse. I'm not happy that you got hurt, but that's because I'm worried about you, not because I'm mad at you."

"You're worried about me?"

Link looked up at you. "Of course. You're my partner, you know? Making sure you're safe is important to me. Hell, I wouldn't have even agreed to bring you with me if I didn't care about you, at least a little."

Link wrapped a bandage tightly around your thigh and put his supplies away.

"You all finished down ther-" you began to say, but were interrupted as Link wrapped his arms around you and gave you a squeeze.

"You're fine, okay," Link signed as he pulled away from you. "Your wound looks like it'll be alright, so I'm very glad you're not too hurt. And besides, I owed you a hug from the other night, so there you are. Also, put your pants back on, you fucking weirdo."

You blushed and quickly pulled your pants back up to your waist. You cleared your throat, embarrassed.

Link laughed.

"Not funny, dick."

"It's a little funny."

"…Yeah."

"I'm glad you're fine, though."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." You pulled yourself onto the floor and gently made your way into your bedroll, happy to have a new understanding of your partner.


	5. The Journey Back

The returning was a difficult one. Link was in great condition, but you and Pikle weren't as fortunate. The Bokoblins had been quite rough with your newly acquainted party member. With numerous scrapes and bruises covering his body, Pikle was going to need quite a bit of medical attention once he was returned to family. You did a quick inspection of his physical state the night you recovered him and noticed his left arm had been cracked in several places. Using some freshly chopped planks of wood and cloth, you and Link managed to create a makeshift splint to help the bone heal correctly.  
After a very long night, the three of you began marching back home, carrying Pikle via the stretcher you assembled the other night. Transporting the extra weight over the difficult terrain was definitely an arduous task given your own injuries. The bleeding from your gash had ceased, but the pain remained. The only difference was that now instead of a sharp, stabbing pain, it was dull and aching. The injury made walking difficult, and you could feel your leg shaking with every step. Link called for constant breaks so that you could rest. You thoroughly opposed the idea and made it very clear that you wished to continue onward, but Link insisted the group stop every so often. You didn't want to feel like you were holding anyone back. You were tough, and even though your leg hurt like hell, you had preferred to deal with the pain rather than adding extra time to your journey.  
"My main concern," Link would tell you, "Is the possibility of that wound reopening on us. Unfortunately, I didn't bring too many medical supplies with me on this trip, and I don't want to risk having to use what we do have left trying to stop the bleeding from that gash again. We need the gauze and bandages that remain to rebandage your wound these next few nights. The blood loss probably won't kill you if that opens back up, but an infection definitely could if we have to reuse dirty bandages."  
"I guess," you grunted as you and Link gently laid Pikle down in the grass and sat for a moment. "I just don't want to feel like a burden, you know? I'm supposed to be here to help you out, not make this mission take five days longer than it needs to."  
"Oh, you're definitely helping. Don't worry. If you weren't here, I'd have to take him back on my own, and that is DEFINITELY much harder. I have some decent stamina, but I can only do so much, you know?"  
You chuckled. "Would you carry him around piggyback, or would you carry him in your arms like he was your bride?"  
"Piggyback. Makes it easier to climb. Better for your back, too."  
"Oh shush, you dork."  
"Hey, back health is an important subject and you should probably pay attention," Link signed back vigorously. "Can't be fighting monsters and savin' dudes if your back don't work."  
You smiled and sighed, enjoying the soft breeze that had been keeping you cool. "How long do you think until he's able to walk with us? Because, even though I'm all about helping folks, my leg is absolutely killing me."  
"See! I told you breaks were important."  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever Mr. 'I'm Always Right'. 'Look at me, I'm Link. I'm so smart and cool. I aaaaaaalways know what's best for other people cause I'm just super rad and knowledgeable and stuff'," you said in a jokingly condescending voice.  
"Well I'm glad you finally realized it," Link signed before adopting a very snooty attitude.  
"Jackass."  
You two sat in silence for a moment.  
"I'm scared to bring this guy back to his family," you said.  
"Why?"  
"Just, look at him, man. He's fucked up. I mean, I know they're going to be happy to see him again, but he's just in horrible condition. Honestly, if I was his family, I don't think I'd want to see him like this."  
"That's understandable, I guess. But I think they'll just be happy he isn't dead. Those Bokoblins can be some ruthless bastards, you know?"  
"You've got a good point… I just hope he can at least walk on his own by then."  
"I do too. His ass is heavy."

After a couple of days, Pikle regained consciousness, as well as most of his strength. He still felt a little weak, but he had recovered enough to be able to stand on his own feet and walk with the two of you. Much to your delight, he insisted that he make his way back home unassisted, saying that he'd like to feel like less of burden and carry himself around for a while. He also offered the two of you a large amount of his personal wealth once you had all arrived safely. You politely declined, stating that you didn't do what you did for the money, and also that as travelers, money doesn't have quite as much value to you as someone who stays in one place. Determined to repay the favor in one way or another, Pikle then offered the gift of knowledge instead. He informed you that in his free time, he enjoyed brewing tea for himself and his family. As a show of his gratitude, he led the two of you into the woods and started teaching you what he knew about the local plants and trees, noting which items went well together with certain kinds of tea leaves, which ones he preferred to avoid, and which ones to give to people you didn't like very much, stating that a good way to get revenge is with a good old-fashioned, bitter batch of tea. When you rested for the night, he taught you about properly boiling your water and how to pour it over the leaves so as not to burn them. It was the most delicious tea you had ever tasted, and you gleefully sipped on it as Pikle shared some stories with you and Link.  
He was a gentle man who spent most of his life helping his mother around the house while his father worked for the royal guard. When he was twenty-three, his mother and father both passed in a terrible accident and he ended up selling his house to spend some time living in the woods to deal with the pain and connect with nature. During a visit to the town market to pick up some supplies, he noticed a new woman working at his favorite shop. He started talking to her, and after a month of coming to her stall every day, he ended up buying a small house and moving back into the city so he could see her more often. A few months later, the two ended up getting married, and the year after, had their first kid. It was a real fairy tale love story, and he was looking forward to see his wife and family again. When it started getting late, Pikle retired for the night and Link helped you clean and rebandage your wound.  
You woke up at the break of dawn the next morning and arrived in town at midday. You were greeted by a tearful and happy family who quickly surrounded and embraced Pikle. After a long hug, Pikle's wife hugged both you and Link and thanked you profusely for saving her husband. After Pikle's family had calmed down a bit, you said your goodbyes and wished him and his family the best of luck. Afterwards, you made a stop at the town market where you picked up some fried doughnuts: an after-mission tradition of yours. That night, you and Link spent the night in a hotel as a reward for a job well done. You slept extra well that night, knowing that your actions helped reunite a gentle man with his loving family.


	6. A Day at the Festival

"Link. Link, wake up," you said as you gently nudged Link's shoulder while he slept quietly in his bed. "Come on man, it's almost noon! I wanna go and do stuff today!"

Link simply rolled over onto his back, eyes shut and with a small amount of drool coming out of his mouth.

"Ew." You grabbed a tissue and wiped the drool off. You then took a glass of water and poured some onto his face

Link shot up and began frantically looking around the room.

"Oh, you're up! Cool, get dressed, man. There's something I wanna go look at today."

Link gave you an annoyed look and began using his blanket to dry himself.

"Thanks for the rude wake up call," Link signed.

"Free of charge, my friend," you said with a wink.

You were wearing some of your favorite clothes today as you were expecting to have a fun and relaxing time during your post-mission hiatus. You were able to shrug off the heavy armor and thick padding for something lighter and much more comfortable for once. You picked up a pile of clothes you had sitting near the end of your bed and tossed them at Link.

"Here you go! Get dressed already, would ya?"

Link looked inquisitively at the clothing you gave him.

"Did you pick my clothes out for me?"

"Yes, yes I did."

"Why?"

"Because, Mr. Hero. You were apparently raised by wolves and every time you dress yourself, you look like a third grader, and I wanna look at least somewhat presentable walking around with you today."

"I can dress myself, you know," Link signed as he began slipping on the tan pair of shorts and green tank top you picked for him. "This stuff isn't even fancy. It's just normal clothes."

You pulled out Link's Sheikah Slate and began showing him a slideshow of pictures you had taken of him wearing clothes of random materials and heavily differing colors. There was also a picture of him in his underwear with several pots and lids strapped to him like a suit of armor.

"Yeah, what's your point," Link asked as he closely investigated the pictures.

"The point is I don't want anyone to think you're part of the freak show today, no matter how well you'd fit in. You almost ready?"

"Yeah, yeah," Link impatiently signed as he fixed his hair.

"So where are we even headed to," Link asked.

"We're almost there, man. Just relax. You're gonna love it."

"You think?"

"Yes, and if not, I'll love it, so it's a win-win."

"How considerate."

"Only the best for my favorite guy," you said sarcastically as you shoved Link's shoulder.

As the two of you walked through the quiet and empty streets of town, you could faintly hear music.

"We're getting close~," you said in a very sing-songy voice as you excitedly bobbed your head side to side in rhythm with the distant music.

As you approached your destination, you ran up to Link, covered his eyes, and began guiding him through the streets.

"What are you doing," Link asked as he gently tried to push away your hand.

"Raising the drama, doofus," you said, batting Link's hand away and tightening your grasp over his eyes.

The two of you turned the corner into a large, open square full of hundreds of people and vendors.

You removed your hand from Link's face and gleefully exclaimed, "Welcome, to the Annual Cucco Festival!"

You revealed to Link an extravagant display full of decorations and music. All around you was Cucco themed merchandise: Cucco themed balloons, clothes, food, and games were littered throughout the town's court as hundreds of people happily made their way from attraction to attraction. In the center of the square was a large ice statue of a Cucco roosting proudly. Next to it was a live band with an accordion player, a violinist, and a Rito woman performing vocals.

"So? You excited?!"

Link stared blankly for a moment, remembering his mixed past with Cuccos: Having to quickly search for them in large crowds as a kid, getting swarmed by flocks of them when he accidentally hit one, and more recently, having to search high and low for the elusive feathered beings. He didn't mind the small feathered creatures, but they've caused him quite a bit of heartache during his adventures.

"I'll take you silence as a yes! Or, lack of hand movements, I should say." You reached down and grabbed Link by the hand. "Come on, Link. It'll be fun! The Inn Keeper told me all about this and it sounded amazing, but I didn't wanna go alone. I was hoping you'd wanna tag along with me…"

Link stared at your hand for a moment as a tiny bit of red colored his cheeks. After a few seconds, he seemed to snap out of some deep thought and gave you a smile. "Sure, I'll tag along with you."

"Awesome!" You jumped in the air excitedly and ran to a nearby stall, yanking Link around by his arm in the process.

The first one you stopped by was a food vendor. It was being manned by a short, older woman with a blonde ponytail. The wooden table she stood behind was covered in several different plates of various treats, all Cucco themed. There were small rice balls, boiled eggs, and cupcakes dressed up as the small poultry friends. You and Link both perked up when you saw them and bought as much as the woman would let you. You scarfed down the food as you took time to enjoy to the band, watched a magical act, and sat down to listen to a man explaining to you and a large group of children how to properly take care of and breed Cuccos and what daily life on a Cucco ranch was like. The two of you walked around and talked for quite some time as you purchased more food and several articles of clothing. On your way out of the festival, you noticed a game booth with a large Cucco plushie as the main prize. You gasped loudly and shook Link as you pointed towards it.

"Link, I NEED that Cucco! We have to stop and win it," you said as you dragged him towards the stall.

"Hey there, you two," a large man with a curly moustache said as he jumped up from his seat. "Welcome to the slingshot challenge! The goal is simple: Take the slingshot in front of you and launch a rock through that spinnin' target behind me! Make all three rocks in and win a prize!" He gestured towards a large wooden circle behind him being spun manually by a young boy who seemed to be the man's assistant. The target had three very tiny holes punched into it for the rocks to get launched through.

"How much to play," you asked, frantically pulling out your wallet.

"Ah, just a simple five rupees, lovely lady. Five rupees to get you three rocks," the man replied, pulling out a flat brimmed hat full of rupees for you to place your hard-earned money into.

You quickly dropped a blue rupee into the man's hat and grabbed the old wooden slingshot sitting on the table. You closed your eye as you pulled back on the elastic and aimed for the spinning wheel. As you let go of the rock, the boy spinning the wheel gave it a spin, making it speed up and causing you to miss.

"Damn it, man," you said as you dropped another rupee into the man's hat. "I have to get all three, right?"

"Mm, yes ma'am. All three for a prize."

You loaded up another pebble and took a shot. This one went in, and you let out a quiet "yes" as you hurried to grab another rock off of the counter. You took a second shot and missed the hole. You frustratingly continued the process, dropping a continuous supply of rupees into the man's hat, until Link grabbed your hand and took the slingshot from you.

"Hey, you've already burnt through like, fifty rupees. I think you should chill out. I don't think we're gonna be able to get it," Link signed.

"But I'm so close! I'm just getting a hang of it, I can feel it! And I just really, really want that Cucco!"

Link sighed and handed you back your wallet, pulling out his own instead. He rustled through his pouch and slammed a blue rupee onto the table, looking sternly at the obstacle in front of him.

The man running the booth chuckled. "Well little man, if you feel like you can do better, be my guest! Win this stuffed Cucco for your girlfriend, hm? You know the rules, so get to it!"

The taunting fell on deaf ears as Link channeled all his energy towards focusing on hitting these targets. He picked up a rock and very slowly pulled back on the elastic of the slingshot as he steadied his breath and studied the spinning of the wheel. As he got into his special headspace, time seemed to slow down for him. As he let go of the first shot, it sailed through the hole in the board without a noise, perfectly soaring through the air and the target.

The booth operator began to look a little nervous as Link readied his second shot and motioned to his assistant to speed up the wheel. The young boy nodded and began moving the wheel more vigorously.

Link's second shot followed suit with his first: perfectly on target.

"Hey there buddy, you sure you're using the rocks we're supplying to you? There isn't any kind of cheating allowed at this booth," the man with the moustache asked sternly, leaning over the counter and investigating the rock Link was holding.

Link just smiled, loaded the final shot, and let it whirl. The rock clipped the board as it barely made its way through.

"Aaa!" You screamed wildly as you gave Link an enormous hug, almost knocking him over.

"Hmm," the stall owner grumbled. "I guess you did it. Fair and square." The man placed a Cucco plush on the counter as he stared sternly at Link. "Now don't come back, you hear?"

You picked up your prize and gave it a big squeeze. "I'm gonna have to figure out a name for you, little guy." The plushie fit perfectly between your arms as you held it close to your body. "Thank you so much Link, I could honestly cry I'm so happy"

Link shyly gave you a bump on the arm. "It's nothing, I just knew you really wanted it."

"Ah man, we're gonna go on so many awesome adventures together!"

"Adventures you say," a man standing near you said. "Are you two by chance adventurers?"

"Well… there goes our few days of vacation, Link," you said softly as the man approached the two of you to ask for your help.


End file.
